WSP07436

• File Number: 8543.600
• Description: San Luis Valley Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 6/1/1987
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: San Luis Valley Project - Colorado - Closed Basin Division - Design and Planning
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Irrigation ditches, which intersect the conveyance channel alinement, cross
underneath it through siphon structures. Box culverts and siphons will provide
channel crossings at the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, at U.S. Highway
160, and at county road intersections_

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A gauging station, used to measure flow and volume of the water, is located just
north of U.S. Highway 160.

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The channel is fenced on both sides to prevent livestock damage to its banks and
to guard against livestock drownings.

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The channel empties into the Rio .Grande downstream of the New Ditch Diversion
on the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.

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The conveyance channel will be connected to the San Luis Lake by means of a turn-
out on the lakels northwest side. A pumping plant on the southwest side will
provide a "flow-thrul! system in the lake. Water from the project will be used
to stabilize the lake at a surface area of about 890 acres.

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MONITORING

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Water Table

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The law authorizing the Closed Basin Division provides for a number of con-
ditions in the sump area of the Closed Basin. Perhaps most important is the
law's provision that development and operation of the project must not create an
adverse effect on the lands surrounding the project area. The Reclamation
Project Authorization Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-514) states:

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liThe Secretary shall operate project facilities in a manner that
will not cause the water table available for any irrigation or
domestic wells in existence prior to the construction of the pro-
je.;t to drop more than two fe'e\ and in a manner that will not
cause re.juction of artesian flows in existence prior to the
construction of the projectall

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Therefore, regular and consistent monitoring of the water table is necessary a

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This is done through the use of observation wells. Groundwater levels are
measured at one- and thr.ee- mon,th intervals by the Rio Grande Water Conservation
District, the United States Geological Survey, and the Bureau of Reclamationa
There are more than 300 observation wells in and around the project area.
Future plans call for a continuous monitoring system of wells thru a Project
Automated Control Systema This system will use censors placed inside the wells
to monitor readings. The readings can then be transmitted to the office via
radio waves. These measurements are available to the public, and are published
in local newspapers. An example of a Bureau of Reclamation quarterly water
table reading is furnished on the following page.

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